Ignoring the Dangers in Abandoned Mines and Quarries Can Prove Fatal

How can something so intriguing be so deadly? That's the question hikers,
recreationalists and swimmers should ask themselves before venturing into one of the thousands
of abandoned mines and quarries scattered throughout the country. According to the Department
of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), dozens of people are injured and
killed each year from accidents that occur at inactive underground mines, sinkholes, pits and
quarries.

"We cannot emphasize enough the dangers that lurk in abandoned mines and quarries,"
said J. Davitt McAteer, assistant labor secretary for mine safety and health. "Now that the warm
weather has arrived, quarries are more alluring than ever. But these are anything but safe
swimming holes."

Hidden beneath the icy cold and deceptively deep waters may be pieces of mining
equipment left behind after a quarry operation shuts down, including old machinery, barbed-wire
fencing, ropes that entangle swimmers and sharply edged glass.

"Unsuspecting swimmers may develop cramps from the frigid temperatures, and divers
often miscalculate the depth of the water entirely, which can lead to tragic consequences," said
McAteer.

Abandoned underground mines also prove to be an irresistible draw for thrill seekers. But
they contain hazards of their own, including decaying timbers, loose rock and vertical shafts that
can collapse at any time. They harbor undetectable and deadly gases such as methane and carbon
monoxide, and poisonous snakes and insects often make their homes in these dark and secluded
places.

Many of these daredevils -- they tend to be adult males under 40 -- have little regard for
such dangers. "People of all age groups should heed this warning, but we realize it's hard to
convince those who repeatedly flout the rules," said McAteer. "Consequently, if we can educate
young children before they ever develop a taste for such forbidden adventures, we may save a lot
of lives."